Chapter 226 Chapter 226 Returning Home for Dinner
Qin Feiyu was in a good mood, and Qin Kun was happy just seeing that. In addition, Qin Feiyu said that someone had sent him a jar of good stuff, saying that it was for making hot pot. He even asked someone to prepare the table and ingredients, and asked Qin Kun to find time to go to Prince Xu's Mansion to see if Qin Qingfeng and his family were free to come back so that everyone could have a meal together. It had been a long time since the Qin family got together.
Qin Kun naturally agreed to this.
Prince Xu's Mansion.
"Qingfeng, my father-in-law sent someone to call us and ask us to go home for dinner tonight." Fu Qingxu actually didn't like going to the Qin family. The atmosphere there was too depressing. Every time he went there, he would be restless. He didn't dare to laugh or say a word, for fear that he would say something wrong and cause everyone to have unpleasant memories. Later, he also lost his child, and he knew the feeling deeply.
But it is Yue's family after all, so I have to go back for the New Year. Not to mention that Qin Kun has sent people to call me, it would be bad not to go back.
Qin Qingfeng was wearing a cloak and holding a small stove for heating in his hand. He said nothing, but just nodded to show that he understood.
Seeing this, Fu Qingxu felt powerless. Every time Qin Qingfeng fell ill, he would be silent for a while. He was used to it, but he felt heartbroken again and again.
Fu Qingxu lowered his voice, "Then I'll go prepare some New Year gifts and bring them back this afternoon. Don't sit by the window for too long. Come, I'll take you to bed."
As he spoke, Fu Qingxu reached out to pull Qin Qingfeng's arm, but Qin Qingfeng dodged by moving sideways.
Fu Qingxu's eyebrows tightened, his face immediately became ugly, and regardless of Qin Qingfeng's reluctance, he stretched out his hand and grabbed him. As expected...
This touch immediately infuriated Fu Qingxu, his voice shaking with anger. "Qin Qingfeng, what are you doing? Why are you wearing such thin clothes? Don't you know what kind of body you have?"
He touched the stove in Qin Qingfeng's hand again. Wow, the stove that should have been warm was actually freezing cold. He met Qin Qingfeng's puzzled gaze. Even though he was holding back some anger, his face didn't show any strong emotion. He was restraining himself and asked casually, "What do you want to do?"
After Fu Qingxu calmed down, a deep feeling of powerlessness swept over him. He wiped his face and said, "Qin Qingfeng, what on earth are you thinking? You are torturing yourself, you know? Can't you just tell me why you are doing this?"
Qin Qingfeng was startled. He knew that Fu Qingxu would only call him by his full name when he was angry.
If I had done this in the past, Fu Qingxu would have been angry, but today his anger seemed different from usual.
Fu Qingxu looked exhausted, with an indelible sadness between his brows.
Qin Qingfeng felt a mixture of discomfort. Looking at the person so close to him and smelling the familiar scent on him, he stammered, struggled, and fidgeted with his fingers anxiously, wanting to reveal his abnormal state. He hesitated for a long time before speaking tremblingly, "I'm atonement! Qingxu, I feel bad. I can't dress too warmly. Even the child can't wear warm clothes. How can I let him be cold all alone? I need to be with him."
Qin Qingfeng didn't dare to live too well. He felt guilty. He believed that it was because he didn't take good care of the child that the child disappeared. It was all his fault.
Every time he ate something delicious or wore warm clothes, he would inexplicably think of the child he lost. If he were not... if he were still alive, would he be starving and not having enough food or clothes to wear in some unknown place, while he was living so well in the capital. How could this be possible? He should be like the child!
Fu Qingxu knew that Qin Qingfeng was emotionally unstable, mentally ill, and had extreme thoughts. At times like this, he couldn't get angry or yell at him, he could only coax him. Thinking of Qin Qingfeng torturing himself like this, his tone was filled with subtle panic, "How do you know that our child will definitely not be able to wear warm clothes or have enough food? Maybe he met a kind person who adopted him. Have you forgotten that our child is so well-behaved and cute? How could anyone who meets him not like him?"
"I haven't forgotten. Sanbao is very well behaved and the cutest."
"Yes, our third child is so cute and everyone loves him. Moreover, we have helped so many good children over the years. We are so kind to other people's children, so other people will also be kind to our child."
Qin Qingfeng looked depressed, "Really?"
It was like being punched in the face. A sudden, uncontrollable, and irresistible sourness filled Fu Qingxu's nose. Warm liquid couldn't help but spread out, blurring his vision. He forced a smile and said, "Of course it's true. When have I ever lied to you?"
Qin Qingfeng believed it. He desperately needed this kind of comfort, but Fu Qingxu turned around and changed his expression.
If good people are rewarded, why did the Qin family protect the Great Yan Dynasty but end up like this?
The Qin family was very lively tonight. Qin Qingfeng was coming back with his brother, son-in-law and two children. It was a rare occasion for the whole family to sit together. The atmosphere was no longer as depressing as before. Qin Feiyu, who hadn't smiled in several years, smiled for the first time tonight as he welcomed Qin Qingfeng into the house.
Qin Qingfeng looked at his cousin standing at the door with a smile on his face, and was in a trance for a moment.
It has been a long time since I saw Qin Feiyu smile like this.
What was Qin Feiyu like before? There were clearly no tears in his eyes, but they were filled with complex emotions that were difficult to express clearly. That lifeless look made people dare not look directly at him.
Qin Feiyu is not someone who cannot use tears to express his grievances and helplessness, but his identity and status determine that he cannot do so.
For some reason, seeing the joy that welled up from Qin Feiyu's heart, Qin Qingfeng couldn't help but be infected. A lot of the negative emotions in his body were blown away, and every part of his body became active. He shouted, "Brother!"
"Well, I'm back. Come in quickly. It's very cold outside. Second uncle and the others have been waiting for you and the child for a long time."
"Okay, I'll go in too." Qin Qingfeng felt much more relaxed and couldn't help but smile. He reached out and pulled Qin Feiyu's sleeve to lead him in. Qin Feiyu had no choice but to turn around and say to his two nephews, "You two have grown so tall. Come in quickly. Your uncle will give you something delicious later."
Upon hearing this, the nine-year-old Fu Shaoping and Fu Shao couldn't help but feel happy and responded in unison: "Thank you, uncle, you are so kind."
Looking at Fu Qingxu, who was walking at the end, Qin Feiyu said, "My family recently bought two hundred kilograms of silver frost charcoal. You can take a few dozen kilograms back with you when you go back later!"
Fu Qingxu: "..."
He hasn't even had his meal yet and he's already saying this. If someone doesn't know, they'd think Qin Feiyu is trying to send him back.
The Qin family and the Xu Wang Mansion are both in the capital, but the capital is so big, one is in the east and the other is in the south. Although the two families are not too far away, it takes nearly an hour to get there by carriage. Qin Qingfeng has been in poor health in recent years and has seldom come back. In previous years, he would come back during the holidays and leave after having dinner. This year, can't their family stay for one night before going back?
Qin Feiyu said this as if he didn't welcome them and asked them to finish their meal and leave immediately.
Fu Qingxu: "It was drizzling and snowing on the way here, so the road is very slippery. It's not safe to drive after dark."
That’s all I have to say.
Hearing the sound, the Second Lord Qin, who had been standing at the door to greet his two grandsons, immediately smiled and said, "Then don't go back. Stay here tonight before leaving. Come on, Shao Ping and Shao An, come in. We have burned silver frost charcoal at home today, it's warm now."
"Little grandpa, please don't come out. It's cold outside." Fu Shaoping shouted and hurriedly pulled his brother inside. It was really cold outside today. They were all freezing as soon as they got off the carriage. Little grandpa is old, and it would be bad if he caught a cold.
The Second Lord Qin smiled and said that he was not cold, but his eyes fell on Qin Qingfeng who entered the room one step behind him. He really did not feel cold because his heart was warm. For a man of his age, his child was going home, and he was happy to wait no matter how long it took.
Qin Qingfeng looked at the face of the Second Lord Qin, which was already eroded by time. His heart was filled with pain and he called out in a hoarse voice, "Little Daddy, I'm back."
Over the years, he had neglected his parents because of his children. As a child, it would have been fine if he hadn't been able to transform his identity and become a safe haven for his parents after they grew up, but he actually had to make his parents worry about him. Qin Qingfeng couldn't help but feel guilty. Fu Qingxu noticed his mood change and patted his shoulder, "Today is a good day, don't think too much about other things, okay?"
The Second Lord Qin hadn't heard the couple's whispers, but when he found out that Qin Qingfeng was fine, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. He lovingly took Qin Qingfeng's hand and led him inside: "You're glad you're back. Your father has been waiting for a long time. Let's go see him first and have dinner later."
Fu Qingxu chatted with the elders of the Qin family for a while before he looked at the charcoal basin burning brightly in the middle of them with a puzzled look. "Dad, uncle, my cousin just said we have two hundred kilograms of silver frost charcoal at home. Did you also go to the Yunrun store to line up to buy charcoal?"
Speaking of which, the Yunrun shop was also a peculiar place. Some servants could not even buy the charcoal for their masters. There were so many powerful people in the capital, and it was impossible for the waiters and shopkeepers in the shop to recognize the servants of each mansion. It would be bad if someone impersonated them. However, the silver frost charcoal sold in the Yunrun shop was an imperial item and was extraordinary. In addition, the Yunrun shop had a great background, so everyone had to swallow their anger and queue up outside if they wanted to buy the silver frost charcoal.
Qin Qian smiled and said, "No, this is what Fei Yu brought back. We also went to buy some half a month ago. We have enough Silver Frost Charcoal at home. You can take some back when you go back."
Fu Qingxu had brought thirty kilograms of Silver Frost Charcoal as a New Year's gift to the Qin Mansion, but he had no idea the Yue family actually had several hundred kilograms of it. His eyebrows immediately raised, "Dad, you just bought it half a month ago, how did my cousin bring back two hundred kilograms of Silver Frost Charcoal?"
This is impossible. He had asked the butler to buy it before and wanted to buy more, but his reputation as Prince Xu was not effective in Yunrun Store.
Qin Qiao shook his head and said, "I don't know. You have to ask him about this. We asked him, but he didn't tell us."
Fu Qingxu choked and said, "He didn't say anything when you asked him, but he told me when I asked him?"
He is just Qin Feiyu's brother!
Qin Qingfeng was equally curious. Noticing Fu Qingxu's gaze, he simply asked, "Brother, do you know the owner of Yunrun Store?"
Apart from this possibility, Qin Qingfeng couldn't think of any other.
They definitely knew each other. After Xiao Hengzhi gave half of the New Year gift to Qin Feiyu, he asked Manager Qi to send two hundred kilograms of silver frost charcoal to the Qin family.
After some inquiries, Qin Feiyu learned that the Yunrun shop was opened by his son, so it could be considered his own shop. He accepted the silver frost charcoal sent by Manager Qi.
Thinking of Qin Run, Qin Feiyu thought for a moment and then smiled, "I know him. I'll bring him back for you to meet him later. When he comes, our house will be lively."
"Who is he?" Qin Qingfeng suddenly became curious.
Qin Run answered the question irrelevantly, "Let's have hot pot tonight. I have asked someone to prepare the ingredients."
Qin Qingfeng understood what he heard and stopped asking, "Hot pot? What is this?"
…
Dali Village.
Qin An and Qin Mu were going out to find the three eggs to play with, so they ran out early in the morning holding the storybook that Xu Yunfan had promised to give them the day before.
For the storybook, Xu Yunfan wrote, drew, and bound it himself, which took him two days to complete. Last night, he gave the storybook to the two little ones. When they opened the storybook, they rolled on the bed with joy.
In the past, they only knew the abilities of the seven gourd brothers from Goff's mouth, but they could not imagine what they looked like.
Now when you open the storybook, you will find not only neatly written words, but also pictures on every page.
There is a painting of the second baby who listens with his ears attentively and shoots out two golden rays from his eyes, and there are also the fourth baby, the fifth baby who spit fire and water, and seven other babies. Gofu has drawn the abilities of each gourd baby. Although the colors of the clothes and the gourds on the heads of each gourd baby are different, when telling the story of the eldest baby, every page is accompanied by a picture of the eldest baby's skills fighting against monsters such as the snake spirit. The gourd babies were drawn by Gofu with big and cute eyes, while the snake spirit was drawn with a chin so pointed that it could poke people. The upper body is human, and the lower body is a snake tail. In a word, each character is drawn very vividly and appropriately.
After getting the storybook, the two children lay on the bed with their heads together and read it with gusto. Later, Qin Run washed Xiaobao's feet and then curled up in bed to read with them.
At ten o'clock, Xu Yunfan had been alone in the empty room for two hours and could not wait any longer. He was afraid that they could recite the story of Calabash Brothers after reading it all. Qin Run had not come back yet. Xu Yunfan had no choice but to get dressed and get out of bed to call for help. As a result, the people on the bed were still huddled together and whispering excitedly. Looking at them like that, they were probably not sleepy yet. Xu Yunfan shook his head helplessly. It was just a storybook. What was the big deal?
Having gone to bed late last night, Qin An and his children couldn't get up today. After lunch, Qin An and his friends took Xiao Bao and their storybooks and ran away.
Xu Yunfan was chopping wood in the yard with an axe. He didn't say anything when he saw this. Other families would not let their children go out to play at this time, for fear that the children would catch a cold, but Xu Yunfan did not restrain the three children and explained everything he needed to say. If they didn't listen and really fell or caught a cold, that was fine, it was a good opportunity to teach them a lesson.
Qin Run stuck his head out of the woodshed and looked, "Are they out playing again?"
"Well, they're going to go play with the three eggs. They said they had an appointment."
Xu Yunfan was quite helpless. Ever since he promised to write down the story of Calabash Brothers for the three children, they told the good news to their friends. After getting the storybook last night, they couldn't wait to go find the three eggs after dinner today.
Qin Run shook his head helplessly. "Children are like this. They got a storybook last night and the little ones were so happy that they couldn't sleep and read it for half the night."
Xu Yunfan walked to the window holding the hatchet and leaned lazily on the windowsill. "How dare you talk about them? Who was watching them for so long last night? If I hadn't gone over and called out to you, I'm afraid you would have forgotten who your husband is and only had the Calabash Brothers in your mind."
Qin Run: “…”
This person was so jealous that he took it out on Calabash Brothers.
"It's the first time I've read a story like that, so I can't help but get a little excited. I didn't mean to forget you. Don't be angry, okay?"
Qin Run put down his pen and stood up. He placed his hands on the desk and leaned towards the window. He kissed Xu Yunfan and coaxed him, "Don't be angry. Although you are still incredibly handsome like this, you are even more handsome when you are happy. I like you even more when you are happy. So, don't be angry. Next time I will take you with me and won't make you wait for me."
Xu Yunfan narrowed his eyes, like a chick pecking at rice, and kissed her back twice. "You just know how to make me happy. If you like, I'll write a few novels for you when I have time. You don't know how popular the novels written by these authors are."
"Do you have time? You have an exam in February."
"Hey, it's just a small test, no big deal. I've read books in the academy, so it's no problem."
If Qin Run hadn't seen Xu Yunfan playing with the students and chatting with them, he would have almost believed that Xu Yunfan was so studious.
Facing Qin Run's questioning eyes, Xu Yunfan felt a little embarrassed. His eyes could not help but fall down to the white paper on the table where he was writing and scribbling. He changed the subject, "What are you writing?"
"I'm working on the annual gifts. Workers like Aunt Qin have to share some of them."
Xu Yunfan said "oh", indicating that he understood, "It's time to prepare. What are you going to give?"
For modern workers, the company will provide some benefits during festivals and holidays. Now that he is the boss, he must have these benefits.
Qin Run: "I plan to give each worker half a pound of sausage, half a pound of bacon, and a pound of charcoal. The shop workers can't go home for the New Year, so the New Year gift is the same as everyone else's, but the wages will be doubled during the days they work. I saw in the books you gave me that the wages on such holidays are three times the normal wages, but I'm afraid if I give too much, the other guys will compete to stay, so I can only double it. I'll also have the kitchen prepare a hearty dinner that night to reward them."
Although half a pound of bacon and half a pound of sausage may not sound like much, they are worth dozens of coins. Based on their daily wage of twenty coins, this New Year gift is more expensive than ordinary pork and can only be bought with three or four days' wages.
Xu Yunfan listened carefully. "Okay, let's do as you planned. But you should also prepare a jar of sweet potato wine and some candies for Aunt Qin, the village chief's families, and the Fang family. They have taken care of our family over the years, and we can't forget them now that we have made a fortune."
"Okay." Qin Run was happy. "In a few days, I'll ask the ladies at the flour mill to stop working early so they can prepare the New Year gifts."
Xu Yunfan nodded. He didn't want to do his work anymore and just wanted to go out for a walk.
Yesterday, Hunter Fang told him that he found a cave in the mountains. There was a very strange kind of stone in the cave. There were reddish-brown veins in the stone. It looked quite special, as if it was bleeding. Because the temperature in the cave was low, almost no one dared to go in.
Hunter Fang just told Xu Yunfan this as a strange story, but Xu Yunfan had second thoughts.
When Xu Yunfan heard this, he guessed that those stones were probably cinnabar ore. The snow had stopped today, and in this kind of weather, Xu Yunfan should have stayed at home and roasted sweet potatoes by the fire, but he couldn't sit still. There were treasures waiting for him on the mountain, and he couldn't sit still. He had to walk up the mountain through the snow.
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